


Hold Your Breath

by suluismyspirit



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Random & Short, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 09:59:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11598267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suluismyspirit/pseuds/suluismyspirit
Summary: Chekov and Sulu have found themselves in yet another spot of trouble. Will they be able to find a way out??





	Hold Your Breath

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't abandoned my other work, A Different Life, I just haven't sat down and finished writing the next chapter. Shame on me for my laziness. So, here's a distraction!! A lovely fun RP me and my lovely friend Augs did recently. Do enjoy.

Chekov carefully blinked open his eyes. He was lying face down on some sort of glass panel. He wasn't in any pain, disoriented maybe, but not pain. Slowly, as if waiting for some sharp sensation to begin, he sat up. It scared him that he didn't know where he was, nor how he got there. He could remember everything else: his name, the Enterprise, everything except why he was in here. Glancing over, he saw Sulu in near the same position he had woken up in.

Alarm instantly shot up and he rose to his feet, stepping towards his friend. Barely three steps and he was stopped. He rubbed his nose with a frown and examined the wall. It was nearly invisible, but there none the less. He carefully started tapping the glass, trying to get Sulu's attention as his worry grew.

Hikaru let out a little groan, blinking his eyes open at the incessant tapping noise. He pushed himself up, sitting back and looking around in confusion. His eyes fell on Chekov after moment and he frowned at the glass separating them. Now that he thought about it, he realized that he was surrounded by glass, though he couldn’t see much of the rest of whatever room they were in. He stood up, taking quick stock of himself and finding no injuries. More importantly, no comm, phaser, or basically any equipment whatso ever. Worry growing, he moved over to the glass separating him and Pavel.

“Hey Pav, what happened?”

Chekov was pleased when he could clearly hear Hikaru. A bit muffled, perhaps, but he had been worried that they would be completely deaf to each other. "I vas hoping you vould know," he replied, looking around. There were small holes on the ceiling above them, but that was really all he could see. "I vonder vhat zhose are," he commented, pointing to them. "For air maybe?" While he said it, he had a bad feeling about them that he was trying to ignore.

Sulu followed Chekov’s gaze, noting the holes, and looking to find identical ones in his own little prison. “Yeah, maybe..” He muttered, uneasy about the whole situation. He shook his head, walking around the cell and trying to see where they were or if there were any way out. “I have no idea how we got here.” He reached out to test the wall, finding only cold glass. “This doesn’t make any sense.” He commented worriedly, looking back over at Chekov. “I can’t see anyone or anything out there.” He frowned, tilting his head as he heard a dull thunk and a low rushing noise.

Chekov shrugged, laying his forehead on the cool glass. Why would anyone want them here? Especially when no one was around. None of it made sense.

He lifted his head when he heard the noises, looking at Hikaru with wide eyes. Before he could say anything, water started to come down into his cell. It wasn't gushing, but it wasn't slow. A steady stream it was. Chekov inhaled sharply, spinning around to watch the water. He inched to the corner, trying to escape getting wet but eventually the water touched his boots. "что это?!" he yelled, heart pounding wildly.

Sulu let out a low curse, watching the pouring water for a moment. That answered one question at least, as to what those holes were for. It still didn’t make any sense. What was the point of all this? “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” He tried to reassure Chekov, though he wasn’t quite so sure of that himself. He paced shortly along the wall linking his and Pav’s cell, heart beating faster with every inch the water rose. Try as he might he couldn’t think of what to do. The cell’s were completely bare, just clear thick glass, and he didn’t have any equipment or tools.

He banged a fist against the glass, to no effect, worry growing to fear as the water level rose higher. He cursed again, throwing his whole body into an attempt to break the glass, to do something. He might as well have been trying to break a brick wall, only getting a sore shoulder for his trouble. He took a couple steps back, then looked up, thinking that maybe whoever was responsible might be watching. “Enough! Stop this! What do you want?!”

Pavel was frozen with fear. He wrapped his arms around himself and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control his breathing. He could feel the water seep up to his ankle. What if it didn't stop? He could barely hear Hikaru slamming on the glass from the other side over his own ringing ears. Forcing his eyes open, he looked over at Sulu, quivering. "D-don't," he said quietly, fearfully. He didn't want the water to go into his cell too. Couldn't live with the thought that he killed Sulu. That was the point, though, if he was going to die too.

Chekov shuddered at that thought, burying his face into his hands. He was shocked but not really surprised to feel that his face was already wet with tears. Scrubbing it hard, he looked back up at Sulu. "Try to find some sort of door," he suggested, sniffling. "Z-zhere has to be somezhing. Somezhing ve missed..." he trailed off, sloshing through the water to the other side of his own cell as he slid his hands over as much wall space as possible. Was this some sort of game? Some sort of show? There was no point to this.

Sulu sighed, frustrated, but nodded at Chekov’s suggestion. He copied the Russian, moving along the walls and trying to find some sort of door. He’d walked along his cell earlier, and seen nothing. Still, he was willing to give anything a try. “The glass is smooth, seamless over here. If I had to guess, I’d say they got us in here with a transporter beam of some sort.” Sulu stated. He knew he was likely just pointing out the obvious, but it was somehow better than just panicking in silence. At the very least, he could believe he knew a little bit about what was going on. Maybe that would help Chekov some too.

He looked at the water in Chekov’s cell once he’d come full circle from investigating his own. He really didn’t want to think about what would happen if it kept going. There was nothing for him to do but sit and watch, and wait for his turn apparently. He looked up at the flow of water, then turned his gaze to the holes at the top of his cell. They looked pretty perfectly crafted in from what he could see, which meant it likely wouldn’t be much use as a weak point to try and break out. “You doing okay?” He asked, turning his eyes back to Chekov.

Chekov's heart fell when he could find nothing. No weak spot, no door, nothing. Just to be sure, he did an extra round, only to come up with the same result. He nodded, agreeing with Sulu when he came to the glass that seperated them. If they weren't trapped, he would have admired the craftsman ship, the quality of the glass. But right now, he just wanted to destroy it.

Pavel forced a smile he didn't feel at all in response to Hikaru's question. “Vater's not cold," he joked, though shuddered a moment later. Strangely enough, he felt okay now. He had blocked the inevitable from his mind, and the sound of water soothed him to a degree. He rested his hands on the glass, peering at Sulu with dull eyes. He tried to smile. "....Just make sure you get out, okay?" he said softly, hoping Sulu could hear him above the water. He knew Hikaru was going to hate the words, but they had to be said. Now, before anything else happened. "Eef you find vay, take eet. Do not vait for me”

Sulu was glad to hear that the water wasn’t cold, at least Chekov wouldn’t freeze. He wasn’t sure if that said anything about their captors, that they’d kept temperature in mind for whatever this was. He pressed his lips together in a thin line, frowning slightly at Chekov’s words. “We’ll find a way out of this, together. Alright.” He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince himself or Chekov. Maybe both. “The Captain and the others will be looking for us. We’ll get out of here, both of us.”

“Vhat if zhey do not find us in time?" Chekov liked to say he was a bit of an optimist most times, but right now he couldn't think. His thoughts felt slow. All he could really focus on was Karu's voice and the fact that the water was nearly to his knees. He knew the Enterprise would be looking for them, he really truly believed that, but there was always that terrifying reality that they would be late. That they wouldn't come soon enough.

Sulu put on his best reassuring grin, shifting slightly to lean against the glass. “They will. C’mon, when has Kirk ever let us down?” It was hard for him to hold onto that hope himself. He was so utterly useless right now. He couldn’t _do_ anything. The glass was too strong and thick to break, and trying to talk to whoever had taken them hadn’t worked in the slightest.

Chekov bit his tongue, eyes glancing down to the insignia on Sulu's uniform. He stared at it, shaking his head after a moment. "Never." _But there's a first time for everything._ He left the last part out so Hikaru wouldn't worry. How was he holding up so well? Came with the job, Chekov supposed. The familiar clunk drew him from his thoughts. At first he thought maybe the water was stopping and lifted his head to look up. The flow didn't stop, however, and his gaze slowly moved over to the holes in Sulu's cell, heart skipping a beat. _Nononononononono_.

Sulu held back a groan, his own heart falling a bit at the noise. It didn’t take much to figure out what was coming next. He followed Chekov’s gaze and, sure enough, a moment later and there was water pouring in from his ceiling. “Well, I can’t say that I didn’t see that coming.” He quipped, hiding the worry and unease under the sarcastic comment.

Chekov's fear subsided for maybe a split second as he snorted at Sulu's joke. It was back a moment later, though, as his fears started creeping back. "Vhat if zhe Enterprise does not make eet in time?" he sobbed, unable to keep his panic or tears under control. "Vhat eef zhe vater keeps rising? Vhat eef mine stops. You cannot die! Vhat eef I am somehow killing you?" he took a deep breath, slamming his fists on the glass. “How did ve ewen get here in zhe first place?!"

Sulu closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a slow breath and pushing his own fears away. All of those questions had run through his own mind, it was true, but he needed to remain calm for Pav’s sake if nothing else. “We can’t think about the what if’s, Pav.” He said, looking over at the Russian. “Just focus on the fact that Kirk and the others _will_ be looking for us. They _will_ come for us.” He put as much confidence into the tone as he could, following his own advice to the best of his ability. They needed to focus, and worrying about maybes and what-if’s was not going to help.

He turned to face Chekov, trying to ignore the fact that the water was already past the kid’s knee. Hopefully, trying to think, maybe find some answers, would keep Pav calm. “How did we get here. It’s obvious they got us in these cells using a transporter, but what led up to it, I don’t know.” He crossed his arms, frowning as he tried to remember. “The last thing I can remember is being on the bridge, on shift, but I don’t have any clear memory of anything else.”

Chekov shifted, feeling weighed down and uncomfortable in his wet clothes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning his head against the glass yet again. "Zhat ees vhat I remember too," he said, trying to get a grip and keep calm. Sulu had to be feeling the same stress too, if not more, and he was only making it worse. "I-I zhink Keirk vas um, vas trying to get Spock to do somezhing?" he blinked, trying hard to remember and ignore the sick feeling in his stomach.

“Alright, so no answers there right now. If you remember anything else, let me know. I’ll do the same, okay?” He stated, keeping the frustration out of his tone. They didn’t know how they got here, couldn’t see any way out, had no one to talk to and try and get answer from. It was frustrating and pointless, and much as he tried to keep from admitting it even to himself, it felt utterly hopeless.   
Restless, and itching to do /something/ other than just standing there, he moved around his cell again, double checking for anything he might have missed. As expected, he found nothing, and he came to a stop next to Chekov again. “Alright, so whoever is responsible probably knows something about humans at least. The water’s an even temperature, mine is anyway, so at least we don’t have to worry about hypothermia.” Again, it felt a whole lot like stating the obvious, but anything was better than listening to the pouring water in silence.

Though he would never admit it, Pavel's legs were growing stiff. He wanted to sit, but he wasn't about to. He watched Sulu pace around for a bit and thought about doing the same, but quickly realized that it would wear out his energy more than anything productive. "And zhey know ve cannot surwiwe being under vater," he added bitterly, closing his eyes. He tried to wrack his brain for any memories. Anything at all that could help them. “I kind of remember somezhing bright," he said after a moment, frowning. "But... Zhat ees eet. Probably just zhe beaming.”

“Yeah, probably.” He agreed. “Still, it’s more than what I remember, so it’s something. Maybe.” He paused, looking up instinctively as there was yet another thunking sound. He hoped for half a moment that maybe the water would stop. Maybe whoever it was had just wanted them scared and aware of how completely trapped they were before coming in and making whatever demands they had. Unfortunately, that was nowhere near what happened next. Instead, the steady flow of water in both cells turning into a torrent. In just moments, the water that had barely been above Sulu’s ankles had risen to his knees, with no sign of slowing or stopping.

Heart lifting for a moment, Chekov also looked up. His hopes were dashed as quickly as they had come as his eyes widened. The water was almost up to his chest. Instinctively he started pounding on the glass, desperate for a way out. He noticed Sulu's cell filling quickly as well, which only increased his fear. Pavel let out a soft whimper, looking around. Maybe if they got high enough, they could somehow block the water source? He swallowed hard. But that would mean they made it to the top with absolutely no way out. Chekov moved, half wading, half swimming to the corner of the cell. He wedged himself in it, trying to keep above the water for as long as possible. "Ve could really use zhe keptain now!" he screamed to no one in particular. It helped vent his frustration, but the hopelessness remained.

Sulu was just as frustrated and panicked as Chekov, though he kept quiet. He wasn’t going to give their captors the satisfaction. He was most worried about Chekov, the kid was already nearly needing to tread water, and he knew he wasn’t that far behind. “They have to want something.” He yelled to be heard over the water, backing into the corner as well, the two walls would make it easier to stay above water when it came to that. He hoped they wanted something, that this wasn’t just some sick experiment of some sort.

Hikaru wasn’t sure what to think when the water in Chekov’s cell slowed then stopped. There was about three feet of open air, but the cell was full enough that Pav had to swim to stay above water. It didn’t take long before the water level in his own cell matched, and the stream tapered off. The silence now that the water had stopped was almost ominous. He glanced over at Chekov, eyes worried.

Chekov was trying his best to stay on top. He had often been quite satisfied that he was smaller than everyone, but right now he really wished he was taller. He was doing his best to swim, but the waves the pouring water was making wasn't exactly helping at all. "Maybe zhey are using us as bait," he yelled over to Sulu, then furrowed his eyebrows as he pictured the crew watching them slowly drown. He really hoped that wasn't what was going on.

The water started to stop, and he briefly wondered if they were going to be set free. Instead of the roar, it was now incredibly too quiet. Chekov returned Sulu's expression with one of his own. At the very least it was easier to keep afloat.

And that was when he noticed something. Hikaru's water was higher than his. Chekov's breath caught in his throat. He watched the water lines for a few seconds, to be certain, but it was slowly becoming evident that either his water was going down, or Sulu's was going up.

"Karu," he began slowly, eyes not leaving the edge of the water. "Somezhing is vrong..."

What _wasn’t_ wrong at this point. Hikaru bit back to sarcastic comment. It wouldn’t help anyone, and it wasn’t the time or place for it right now. Instead, he followed Chekov’s gaze, frowning as he tried to figure out what Pav was seeing. “It’s… it’s probably nothing, just a coincidence.” He offered. He really doubted it thought. Everything else had been pretty perfectly calculated, even the water temperature. It was very unlikely that they’d have messed up the level. Even with the small motion of the water as both of them moved to stay above it, it was pretty obviously uneven. If he wasn’t mistaken, that unevenness was growing. “Not a coincidence then.” He muttered, trying not to panic.

Chekov took a couple deep breaths. He hated that he was freaking out so much. Why was he so panicked now? He was used to this. Used to the adreneline, used to the danger.  
That was when it dawned on him

He's to all of this _with other people_. Yes, Sulu was there, but he was also in danger. They didn't know if the Enterprise knew where they were or not. Chekov was used to being there, on the bridge, surrounded by like-minded people who were so confident. He also realized that he may very well depend on people far too much. But now was not the time to dwell on such life altering revelations.

Chekov tapped on the glass, noticing that his head was considerably lower than the roof, while Sulu's was considerably closer. "Vhat are ve supposed to do?" he shouted, feeling fatigued. Were they supposed to keep swimming forever? They couldn't do that. Eventually they would get tired and stop. There was no door, they couldn't fit through the water holes. Was the plan to simply wait for the Enterprise? Pavel hated to admit it, but that seemed like the best option.

Sulu shook his head, having no answer to give Chekov. He had no idea what to do. They were pretty perfectly trapped, and while the water wasn’t rising extremely quickly, it was rising steadily. It wasn’t coming from the holes at the top anymore, so that was another mystery. But mostly it meant that he had no way to stop the water from rising. He glanced over at Chekov, not knowing what to say. He should say something, he knew, but what? He was quickly running out of room, pretty soon would be fully underwater. “I don’t think there’s anything we _can_ do.” He admitted quietly.

Chekov could feel his eyes start to well up again, specifically now that his toes could touch the bottom. "Karu..." it was barely even a whisper, said mainly to himself. It was strange seeing Sulu give up. Pavel had always viewed him as a beam of sorts. He helped support others. It broke his heart to know that that beam had cracked and was possibly breaking. Chekov swallowed hard, but was unable to get rid of the large lump. "все будет хорошо," he found himself saying, their roles starting to reverse. "Ve vill get out. Please do not giwe up..." he trailed off, almost able to stand now.

Sulu swam over to the middle, knowing the little holes would be an extra second of air he could use. He glanced over a Pavel, trying to slow his racing heart. He’d need to try and stay calm, preserve oxygen while he could. “Look, Pav, whatever happens, it’s not your fault, okay?” He told Chekov. He knew Pav, knew he’d feel guilty if he made it out but Sulu didn’t. Kid held himself up to an impossible standard sometimes, and Sulu didn’t want him beating himself up over something he had no control over. He took several deep breaths, trying to get as much air as he could, while he could, holding his breath as the water covered him completely. He looked over at Chekov, feeling somewhat glad that the water was low enough that he could stand. He tried not to think about how that probably wouldn’t last. At this point, he could only hope that Kirk and the others showed up before Chekov was in the same position he was.

He kept still in the water, knew that moving and swimming was pointless and would just burn up the oxygen he had that much faster. He was determined to hold out as long as he could, even if he didn’t have any hope of actually making it out of this. He closed his eyes, trying not to think, not to panic as the seconds ticked by. Soon enough, his lungs were burning and he had to fight his body’s natural instinct to breath in.

Chekov watched with horror as Sulu's air supply all but ran out. His chest hurt so bad and he couldn't tell if it was from the anger or distress. His ears were ringing but Sulu was saying something. He had to listen. These could be his last words and he might not hear them because he knew his best friend was dying.

Chekov steeled himself, gritting his teeth as he listened. "I..." he hesitated. Of course he was going to blame himself. Hikaru of all people would know that. Who else was there to blame? No one else had witnessed this, no one else was around. There had to have been some way to get Karu out and he hadn't found it.

But that was why he had said what he just said.

"Okay," Pavel finally replied, voice cracking from the inward struggle and pain. The moment he was flat footed was the moment Sulu was fully submerged. A fresh wave of hot tears came streaming down his face. Chekov pounded on the glass, screaming as loud as he could, hoping that by some miraculous way the glass would break and he could go to the Asian.

Sulu opened his eyes to look at Pav, though it was getting kind of hard to see straight. It seemed kind of dim, blurry, and he knew that he’d probably pass out soon. That would be okay, at least he might not feel it if that happened. At least the water in Pav’s cell was even lower, enough that Sulu could pretend that maybe Chekov would be okay, that they’d let him go. It felt almost selfish, letting himself think that, but he let himself hold onto that thought anyway. He blinked slowly, feeling numb and slow, guilty at the pain on Chekov’s expression. His vision grew darker, unable to fight against his body any longer, feeling a rush of water, burning as he struggled against the inevitable briefly, missing the familiar glow of a transporter outside of the two cells.

When Sulu opened his eyes, Chekov stopped, staring right back. He wanted to smile, wanted to reassure Karu in his last moments, but he couldn't do it. Couldn't bring himself to lie again. He could feel every part of his being freeze as Hikaru closed his eyes again. He watched the still man float for a few seconds, then bowed his head, sobbing. The water that had come to a standstill below his neck was calling him. Calling him to simply dunk his head under the water and never come up again. The sweetness of being with Karu again was so strong. If it weren't for the sudden flash of light he would have joined him. Nevertheless, he lifted his head, staring numbly over at the familiar figures of Kirk and McCoy.

As soon as they had the coordinates, Kirk had called the needed crewmembers and sprinted to the transporting room. So many thoughts filled in his head: were they alive, how badly were they injured, what exactly had happened?

No amount of anxiety had prepared him for what he saw. He cursed under his breath, immediately taking everything in. There was a control panel, and while some of the security crew hurried over to that, he knew it would be too late by the time they figured out how to work it. Heck, it might've been to late already.

Mind numb but fingers steady, Kirk impulsively grabbed his phaser, moving closer to Sulu's water-filled cell. The sight of it made him want to throw up, but there was a small chance that Sulu was still alive. Small as it was, it was still something and he was going to take it.

McCoy kept his eyes on Sulu as he shifted forward, mind already filtering through possibilities and treatments. He didn’t have a clue how long the pilot had been underwater, how long he’d been without air, and he had to prepare himself for the possibility that there wasn’t anything he could do for him. He glanced over at the crew working on the console impatiently. Going by their expression, they knew they were running out of time, were already out of time. He looked over at Kirk, noting his hand on the phaser. “If we couldn’t beam them outta that thing from the ship, I doubt a phaser’s gonna so much as scratch it.” He advised. Much as he’d love to just break the glass, free both officers, it wasn’t really a possibility.

It took far too long for McCoy’s comfort for the security officers to figure out how to work the machine, though thankfully what they’d figured out was this race’s version of the transporter beam. Going by the smooth, doorless construction of the glass cell’s, it was likely how they’d gotten the two into the tanks in the first place. There was a swirl of shimmering light around Sulu, and a moment later he was lying soaked and unconscious on the floor. A few moments later, Chekov was freed as well.

Kirk folded his arms across his chest, nodding as he grumbled a reply to McCoy. They couldn't get to the boys fast enough. By the time they were beamed out, Kirk couldn't help but have a feeling that it was too late.

He strode forward as quickly as he could without running, in between the two in mere seconds. He hastily scanned each of their expressions: Sulu's was far too pale, far too still, and Chekov seemed almost as lifeless. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kirk left Sulu to McCoy and turned to the task of trying to get a reply out of the Russian.

"Hey, Mister Chekov, you with us?" he called quietly, taking Pavel's cold, wet hand into his own. "Talk to me buddy." Chekov blinked at him with dull eyes. It was hard to tell whether he was awake or not. Kirk pushed away his fear, using an authoritative tone to hide how scared he actually felt. "Pavel Chekov, your rank."

That seemed to do something. Chekov blinked multiple times, fighting with himself. Eventually his eyes seemed to clear a bit and he focused on Kirk. "Chekov, Pawel Andreievich," he started slowly, thoughts muddled. "Serial number 656-5827B." he paused, eyes widening. "Keptain?"

“Yes, Chekov, I'm here." Kirk leaned back some to give the kid room, but was mindful to stay in sight. Chekov coughed, sitting up after a moment. At first he looked at the captain, head tilted in an inquisitive nature, but he soon saw McCoy and Sulu just beyond Kirk, and his heart leapt into his throat. He scrambled up to go to Hikaru's side when Kirk stopped him. "Woah, easy there, don't move too much," Kirk said, but Chekov barely heard. The tears came again and he felt dizzy from the way his heart pounded. "Karu....." he sobbed, unable to say anything more.

McCoy moved to Sulu’s side quickly, already having pulled out the scanner, holding it over the Asian briefly, frowning at the read out. It felt like a long, tense moment, even to McCoy. He knew Kirk and Chekov were just waiting, hoping he’d give them some good news. He pulled out two hypo’s, administering one quickly, then pausing to scan Sulu, adjusting the next hypo before injecting him. After a second, Sulu choked, coughing up water and breathing in shallow, ragged breaths, eyes still closed.

McCoy looked over at Kirk, expression serious. “We need to get him back to sickbay.” He was positive Sulu’d live, but he couldn’t be sure if there was any lasting damage just yet. “He’s still got water in his lungs, and there’s some deterioration to his nervous system. I can’t do much more for him here.”

Chekov went limp in Kirk's arms. Sulu was alive. Sulu was alive. He couldn't believe it. Part of him still pictured the pilot's floating body, but he had coughed, he had moved. He was okay.

Kirk nodded, shifting Chekov's crying form so he could whip out his communicator. "Six to beam up, Scotty. Have a medical team ready for us." he paused, waiting for a reply. The Scottish voice came over a few moments later, confirming his request. In barely any time, a light surrounded them and they were back on the Enterprise.

McCoy started moving as soon as the lights from the transporter faded, giving the medical team instructions as they began to move Sulu toward sickbay. He was concerned about the unresponsiveness of the pilot, of what damage might have occurred with the prolonged lack of oxygen. He hoped Kirk had the sense to bring Chekov to sickbay to be looked over, though the Russian would probably be tailing along after Sulu no matter what. He’d get one of the nurses to look the navigator over once they were there. Once they got to sickbay, he waved a nurse over towards Chekov, then moved to start treating Sulu.

It felt unreal to be back on the ship. Sulu was right, Kirk didn't let them down. He had come. A bit too late, but they had been there. Drawing in a shaky breath, he wiped his eyes and tried to control himself, especially now that there were other crew members about. Someone - Kirk he assumed - pulled him upwards. It took a second to regain his balance now that he was out of the water, but as soon as he saw them pulling Sulu away, he trotted after the medical team. Chekov barely noticed, nor did he care, that his boots sloshed and squeaked with every step. His gaze was locked on Sulu's features, waiting for him to smile, give a sarcastic quip, anything.

Too soon he was whisked away. He tried to protest but the nurse barred his way, insisting that he could see Sulu again after a quick check-up and change of clothes. Chekov frowned, but obediently sat down. The exam was a blur. He specifically remembered having a hypo and the nurse mentioning it was to keep him calm, but he really didn't care. He just wanted to see Karu. When could he see his friend?

The Russian didn't want to waste anytime, and as soon as he was decent enough, he left, slipping on his shirt in the middle of the medbay as he made his way to Sulu. He fell heavily into a chair and rolled it beside the Asian's bed, looking closely at Sulu's face again. Chekov put his head on the man's chest until he was satisfied that he was indeed breathing and alive. Even after, he stayed, preparing to get help if the steady movement stopped. Ready as he was, his body wasn't and soon the hypo took effect as he fell into a comfortable sleep.

Sulu woke up disoriented, aware of the pressure on his chest and panicking for a moment. He breathed in too deep and quick, remembering the burn of his lungs wanting air, and nearly immediately started coughing harshly. He struggled for a moment to sit up, before giving up and just curling up slightly, trying to catch his breath and figure out just what had happened. It didn’t feel like he was dead. Coughing hurt too much for that.

Chekov didn't wake up right away. He could hear a noise, much like someone coughing. It was distant, but grew closer and closer. With a jolt he woke up, immediately rising up off of Sulu. He was so afraid he had hurt him, but the joy that he was awake overrode it. "K-Karu, are you okay?" he asked eagerly, giving him a hopeful smile. More than anything he wanted to hug the Asian, but he couldn't. Not yet. Not until he knew it wouldn't freak him out.

Sulu blinked up at Chekov as soon as the coughing lessened. He was still breathing in a little too fast, to deep, but considering his last memory was of drowning, he wasn’t going to be too hard on himself for it. He sat up slowly, confusion evident on his face. “Pav?” He winced slightly, because talking hurt about as much as the coughing had, not to mention he sounded rough. “What happened?” He was thankful that at least this time he knew where they were, but the last thing he really remembered was being surrounded by water and the complete certainty that he wasn’t getting out of there alive.

Chekov reached forward and gently ran a hand through Sulu's hair, petting it, just the way he liked. "You vere right," he replied softly, avoiding Hikaru's gaze because he knew if he looked he would break down again. "Zhe keptain came back for us. They found us." he paused, taking a deep breath. "I-I zhought you vere, no, /knew/ you vere dead but..." he sniffed quietly. "But here you are."

Sulu closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the fact that they really were back, Kirk had shown up in time, and everything had worked out. “Yeah, I’m here. Mostly fine, I guess.” He guessed he wasn’t in too bad a shape, or McCoy’d probably be standing over him right now. He looked over at Chekov, trying to catch his eye and smiling slightly, hoping to cheer the Russian somewhat. “Gonna be a while before I wanna go swimming. No beach vacations for me, thanks.”

Chekov caught Sulu's glance and cautiously returned, it, grinning a moment later. "Da, da, no vater for me eizher," he returned, absently wondering how their first showers were going to go. Probably not well, as Pavel didn't even want to touch water at all, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Ve vill hawe to wacation in Russia. All zhe vater is frozen!"

Sulu nodded, chuckling a bit, glad to have cheered Chekov up. “Sure, Russia it is.”


End file.
